Standout Track: No. 1, “Empire Trashed,” begins as an organ-based funeral song, quickly changing into something more with hauntingly stretched-out syllables from vocalist-guitarist Kristina Reznikov. “Empty roads bring you back/ quick from this to that/ in a monochrome dream,” she sings. Ominous keys and Reznikov’s ever-growing voice foreshadow the soaring climax.

Musical Motivation: Drop Electric’s line-up has been in flux for several years, but lately the outfit has been more stable. Percussionist Ramtin Arablouei and guitarist Neel Singh “want to keep pushing, and they’re never content releasing the same sound and doing the same genre over and over again,” says guitarist and keyboardist Sho Fujiwara. Reznikov’s addition last summer may have pushed the group in a new direction, too, with the first-time singer bringing in her heavy-metal influences. “She came in and joined the band basically as a guitarist and she’s like, ‘Eh, I sing,’ and then we tried her out and we’re like, ‘Holy shit, she can actually sing well,’” says Fujiwara.

Screaming Tires: The lyrics come from a nostalgic place, using the scenario of a car crash as a way to mourn a relationship: “Through the glass and the steel/ you made shadows real.” “Lyrically, take it however you want it, but it’s supposed to be someone thinking back about losing someone from their past,” says lyricist Reznikov. “But it’s ultimately a hopeful song, in a weird way.”

Drop Electric plays the 9:30 Club on Sept. 22.